and you'll notice that when employer gets to around the adjusted withholding, the government spending cuts, those are also scheduled for january 1st and bound to slow the economy and some argue they'll weaken the military. congress has seen this coming, but an effort to limit the damage failed last week. republican house speaker john boehner could not persuade enough members of his party to let tax rates rise on incomes over a million dollars while sparing everyone else. dana bash is our senior congressional correspondent. dana, this time tomorrow, the president is supposed to be back, having cut his trip to hawaii short, the first lady, the girls are staying in hawaii. the senate is supposed to convene, but not necessarily the house. what is going to happen? >> reporter: well, we're not really sure. in fact, house republican leaders are having a conference call, i'm told, as we speak, to figure out that very question. they told their members that they would have 48 hours notice before they reconvene the house and so at the earliest, that would be on friday. but, you know, the action